Celebrating a milestone at a fine restaurant is a tradition in my family. I'm a self-proclaimed foodie and enjoy the luxury of a meal out that is seamless in service. You know what I am talking about. Your glass is magically filled and your plates are cleared without you noticing. I had this experience recently at a hidden gem in Mobile, Alabama.
On Friday evening I was fortunate to have a table at Osman's Restaurant located on Hall's Mill Road. I've been a loyal customer for years, however; this was the first time I had been back since the pandemic.
My celebratory dinner began with Shrimp Gorgonzola with warm bread as an appetizer, followed by a fresh salad with house-made Bleu Cheese dressing. I selected the fish of the day prepared in a Chardonnay Sauce with capers. Oh my, it was delicious!
Osman and his wife, Micki are culinary trained chefs and owners of this wonderful place. They opened the restaurant in 2000 and quickly developed a following. Osman has a knack for flavors and every dish he creates is a treat for your palate.
Micki is the baker of incredible desserts. In fact, I would venture to say they are the best offerings in Mobile. Her Bosnian Cream of Wheat Cake is my favorite. I think you can see why by looking at this photo!
Micki & Osman stopped by my table to welcome me back! We talked for awhile about her new staff, who are wonderful, and about finally opening to full capacity. The restaurant hobbled along at 50% capacity until last week. For a small place that seats less than 40, this pandemic has been a challenge. I highly encourage everyone local to give them a call and make a reservation. You will be so thankful for a memorable dining experience.
Not all fine dining restaurants have been able to maintain the caliber of service their patrons are accustomed to. Recently I visited a well-established and high end chain restaurant that markets it's stellar dining experience. It was a Saturday evening around 5PM so the place was not busy at all. Unfortunately, it did not live up to the claims and I will never go back. It is a shame when your appetizer and salad all arrive at the same time. Your glass sits empty on the table for what felt like a lifetime. I ended up seeking the aid of another server to refill my drink glass. My waitress never mentioned the specials or cocktails. She was an "order taker" and was doing the least amount of work possible. I was shocked at her ineptness, yet she was all bubbly when it came time to bring me the check. If this is an indicator of the type of service happening at finer restaurants then they are definitely in trouble.
I will stick with Osman's and my own kitchen when I am seeking fine meals. There are some wonderful places in Baldwin County that I will share in the future. I feel sorry for owners and managers attempting to keep their places afloat. Something is going to have to change in order for them to survive. The general public will not tolerate bad service at fine dining prices.
Female Entrepreneurs Making a Difference in Our Community!
This week I wanted to spotlight some women who are dedicated to making their city a better place to live! Enjoy these snippets about a few of the ladies that I work with. I'll introduce you to more of these energetic entrepreneurs in future blogs so stay tuned! These women are wonderful role models.
Lisa Harkey, founder of AlaCoast Insurance Agency, is dedicated to helping people find the best insurance coverage for their personal assets and business, too! She opened her agency in 2013 with zero clients and a strong belief in herself!
Fast forward to today and this enterprising lady has assembled a winning team of insurance professionals. She has bought several local agencies and is always focused on expansion. Her second location, in Saraland, serves locals in that area.
Lisa enjoys spending free time with her family and friends. Her fur-kid, Mic, is always by her side! I caught up with her on a recent photo shoot and was delighted to learn about exciting new endeavors on her horizon. Keep your eye on this enterprising business owner!
Adrienne Tate, travel guru and owner of Unique Destinations by Adrienne Tate, is helping folks return to vacation planning. Now more than ever, using a travel agent is important. As the country and the world are opening up to visitors, she knows what protocols are in place for travelers.
She is a Sandals agent and has some incredible packages available for 2021 and 2022. She'd love to chat with you about future vacation plans! Give her a call at 251-255-6596 for more information!
Adrienne and her husband Jeff enjoy spending time with their children and love showing them the world! Travel, food and fun are important to this dynamic couple. Despite the hardship of the past year, Adrienne has stayed focused on growing her agency!
Michelle Tice, Financial Representative with Strategic Wealth Specialists, is passionate about helping people get their finances in order. After being a client for 18 months, she knew that she had found her career. She joined the team and has never looked back!
I've known her for years and can vouch for the compassion that she has for others. This mother of six is community-minded and involved! She spends her free time supporting her children at local sporting events and participating in business networking opportunities.
As a busy entrepreneur she has learned how to get things done! Now is the right time to take the first step to creating a solid financial future for yourself. Building long term financial independence for her clients is her goal, If you are ready to begin, give Michelle a call at 251-472-4400.
Gulf Coast Life Podcast
Last week, I had the opportunity to be a guest on the popular Gulf Coast Life Podcast. Local entrepreneurs, David Carpenter and Andy Woods created this weekly experience focusing on what makes the coast wonderful. They have a huge following all over the world!
I had a great time recording in David's "bat cave" and enjoyed talking about the birth of meet da'boss. As you can see, the recording studio is lined with thousands of books! As an avid reader that was a big distraction!
Click here if you'd like to listen to my interview! I'd suggest you peruse past podcasts to learn more about what is happening along the coast.
Many thanks to David and Andy for having me on their show! Tune in every Thursday at noon for the latest on the Coast!
Book Corner
This cookbook arrived in the mail this week and I have already scoured it for interesting recipes. I happened upon FlaCity on YouTube at the beginning of the pandemic and have become a big fan.
Bobby & Dessi Parrish are label reading experts. He takes you "shopping" to all of my favorites including Costco, Trader Joe's, Wal-Mart, Sam's and Whole Foods. If you are as confused about labels as I am, he can help.
I have become "unwilling" to just accept advertising claims about healthy foods. Honestly, I believe that so many things folks are eating contribute to illness.
Bobby has opened up a new world for me on how to read labels and buy the best nutritious foods at your local supermarkets and warehouse stores. This cookbook is beautifully produced with easy to follow instructions!
You may want to subscribe to his channel since we are going to have multiple locations of ALDI coming to the Coast. He shops there often and releases videos on the most nutritious options!
I hope you spend some time this week soaking up the sun and exploring your local area! I had so much fun over the weekend in downtown Pensacola! It is such a vibrant area with interesting shops and local eateries.
I even checked out their international airport and was delighted to see that it was packed with folks heading out on vacation or traveling for business.
It is good to see a new "normal" emerging as the south reopens for business. Hopefully, folks will continue to practice hygiene and stay home if they are feeling ill.
Let's go out and have a wonderful week! The weather is looking promising and our beaches will be filled with families on vacation. Have a great one! ~ Charlsie